VIENNA - Iran has virtually halted the expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity in the past three months, the UN nuclear agency said in a report roughly covering the period since Hassan Rouhani became president.

The quarterly report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also showed that Iran's stockpile of higher-grade enriched uranium - closely watched by the West and Israel - had risen by about 5 percent to 196 kg since August.

But it still remained below the roughly 250 kg needed for a bomb if refined further to weapons grade. Iran rejects Western and Israeli accusations that it is seeking nuclear weapons capability.